Each day the United States faces countless of threats within their borders as well as outside. There are innumerable issues that occur in the world that could help foreshadow events that may occur in the near future and help policy making decisions. An effective way to help predict possible outcomes in the future is the usage of National Intelligence Estimates (NIE). NIE is defined as “authoritative written judgments on national security issues and designed to help US civilian and military leaders develop policies to protect US national security interests”#(National Intelligence Council, 2007). The NIE is the highest-level strategic document generated by U.S. intelligence agencies. How are NIE’s created? NIE are only produced only when they are requested by “A senior executive branch official, a committee chair of the House or Senate, or a senior military official can request an NIE. An estimate can also be initiated independently by the National Intelligence Council. The request is authorized by the Director of National Intelligence”# (National Intelligence Council, 2007). NIE can be requested for further studies of a countries: economic state, military power, technological advancement, political state, any many more reasons. For example, past NIE include: July 2007 The Terrorist Threat to US, or November 2007 Iran Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities. If a current topic is worthy and grabs the attention of those people who are authorized to request NIE, then it’ll occur ,such as the 2002 Iraq's Programs of Weapons of Mass Destruction. After the request has been made, it’s sent to National Intelligence Committee. “The NIC employs thirteen National Intelligence Officers—senior experts drawn from agencies of the intelligence c... ... middle of paper ... ...ir sources used in developing the critical judgments of the NIE”#(National Intelligence Council, 2007. NIE’s continued to play an immaculate role to the United States, on predicting the future. Works Cited Best, Richard A."CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Intelligence Estimates: How Useful to Congress? " Congressional Research Service, 06 Jan. 2011. Web. 18 Jan. 2014. . Bruno, Greg, and Sharon Otterman. "National Intelligence Estimates." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, 14 May 2008. Web. 19 Jan. 2014. http://www.cfr.org/iraq/national-intelligence-estimates/p7758 Iran: Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities." National Intelligence Council, Nov. 2007. Web. 18 Jan. 2014.
...onal Committee Investigating Iran Contra . THE IRAN-CONTRA REPORT. Vers. Web. Accessed April 9, 2014. (11, 1987): http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/PS157/assignment%20files%20public/congressional%20report%20key%20sections.htm
Thompson, Paul. “They Tried to Warn Us: Foreign Intelligence Warnings Before 9/11”. Web. 03 Aug 2011.
Anonymous. "Strategic Warning: If Surprise Is Inevitable, What Role for Analysis?" Www.cia.gov. Central Intelligence Agency, 21 Apr. 2007. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
Matusek, Matt. “Purpose of Iraq war murky to Americans.” 17 September 2004. The Online Rocket. 1 April 2008.
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) was established in November 1952 to provide a cryptologic organization for the civilian and military leaders of the United States and to provide them with timely information. The National Security Agency (NSA) coordinates, directs, and performs highly specialized activities to produce foreign intelligence information and protect United States information systems through two main missions, Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) and Information Assurance (IA). The Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) mission uses cryptologic machines to break foreign codes to find out what they know and what they are doing. The biggest accomplishment publicly known was when they broke the Japanese military code in World War II and learned that Japan had plans of invading Midway Island. This allowed us to attack and destroy Japan’s superior fleet. With this intelligence, it was said to have shortened the Pacific war by over one year.
The World Fact Book. (n.d.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved August 12, 2011, from https://www.cia.gov (Primary)
Watson, Robert P., Devine, Michael J. and Wolz, Robert J. eds., The National Security Legacy
The National Security Agency (NSA) is considered to be one of the largest components so the U.S intelligence community stands. It is primarily responsible for gathering intelligence report from detailed communications with the active involvement of the various intelligence tools. It was established in 1952 from the code breaking effort adopted by the handful of military officers and civilians and by and by and by the agency grew in stature and marked its position to gain the role of signal intelligence which is also known as SIGNIT. All of this has resulted from the initiatives taken by the congress and actually it is the congress that helped in providing it the required framework required NSA to carry out its various activities and the enacted laws skilfully guides the limits of NSA. From the perspective of electronic surveillance of US persons and also they are supporting and taking due notice of the public pertaining to the issues at NSA and the related reforms that are directed to make NSA more and more equipped in meeting up with the quotidian technical as well as geopolitical challenges. At present, NSA is constantly coming across multitude of challenges and as well as seeing through a difficult operational environment that brings in certain limitations to its work areas like spending levels for intelligence reports into queries for the future prospects of NSA. The European Parliament has also came forward highlighting the interest of the public who allege that the US along with few other countries are constantly involved in systematic electronic eavesdropping so as to be able to launce the commercial interest of US operations in full effect. (Linda B. 1999)
The DIA started in 1958. The organizational structure of the DoD and U.S. foreign intelligence came to a new shape with the establishment of DIA. It was Robert McNamara, then Secretary of Defense, who came up with the concept of DIA in 1961. DIA gathers human source intelligence, analyzes technical intelligence, distributes intelligence/reports to the intelligence agencies, provides advice and support to the Joint Chiefs of Staff with foreign military intelligence, and provides military intelligence to combatant commands as its operational functions. A DIA director is supposed to be a three-star military general and DIA is believed to have employed at least 7,500 staff worldwide today. The DIA is a defense intelligence agency that prevents strategic surprises and delivers a decision advantage to warfighters, defense planners, and to policymakers. This paper will try to evaluate DIA’s role in US national security in present condition of massive budget deficits and increased congressional oversight, plus the intelligence capabilities of the Regional Combatant Commanders and the individual services like CIA and NSA.
“Ready for War.” Intelligence Reports Iss. 131 (Fall 2008). 46-54 SIRS Researcher. Web. 03 Feb. 2011.
The National Security Advisor is a permanent cabinet member responsible for briefing the President on pertinent information collected from all U.S. intelligence agencies, including the National Security Agency, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and others. Some critics have charged that this violates the requirement in the U.S. Constitution that the Federal Budget be openly published. In 1988, President George H.W.... ... middle of paper ...
... Washington, DC. Congressional Research Service. Marosi, Richard. A. (2011, July 26)
The strategy of the United States concentrates on the next five to ten years in order to protect the national interests around the global. With the increase in globalization, the ability to have a presence in all regions becomes important to national security and the United States accomplishes this by building and strengthening alliances. This promotes stability and security in the region as well. Defending the home front is the most important objective of the NSS and in order to accomplish that, continued global power projection is necessary. The NDS and NMS both seek to accomplish this through a thorough assessment of the strategic environment and applying either diplomatic or military power as necessary. The military serves as a major deterrent to potential adversaries, because of the United States’ military capability.
Tidd, J. M. (2008). From revolution to reform: A brief history of U.S. intelligence. The SAIS